Five questions as the Union begin their season and conference previews

By MATT DeGEORGE

Friday, March 1, 2013

Five questions for the Union

1. Will the offense struggle like last season? There will be growing pains, but the likes of Sebastien Le Toux and Conor Casey are certainly better equipped to find the back of the net than last year's misfiring group. The specific skills of guys like Chandler Hoffman and Antoine Hoppenot also offer late-game options.

2. Can the defensive transition be smooth? Last year's central defense pairing of Carlos Valdes and Amobi Okugo grew well together. This year, it looks like those spots will be filled by veterans Bakary Soumare and Jeff Parke. How long it takes them to acclimate to each other will determine the team's early-season trajectory.

3. Will Zac MacMath become an elite goalkeeper? It's not yet put-up-or-shut-up time for MacMath. But the 21-year-old is one of the more established pieces on this team. He looked lost at times last season, and his ability to rise to the occasion could go a long way in determining if this is a playoff team.

4. Where will Okugo fit in this team? Initially, it looks like the fourth-year player will be in the midfield. With two of the top three center backs on the depth chart over the age of 30, that's subject to change. Either way, he's one of the best 11 players in this squad, and Hackworth must find a spot for him on a regular basis.

5. Is this a playoff team? The initial inclination is no; there are just too many pieces that have to work right out of the gate. But this isn't a one-year, playoffs-or-bust project, and this team at least knows that.

Eastern Conference Preview

Houston. The Dynamo sport perhaps the league's best midfield with Oscar Boniek Garcia and Giles Barnes. The emergence last year of forward Will Bruin and goalkeeper Tally Hall makes them title contenders.

Kansas City. The loss of Kei Kamara and Roger Espinoza to the English Premier League shows the depth of talent in Sporting Kansas City's ranks. The team may not miss a beat this year, thanks in large part to Graham Zusi, the new hot name in the U.S. national team ranks.

Chicago. The Fire found some success down the stretch last season, and they've added veterans like Jeff Larentowicz and Joel Lindpere to the mix. Goals won't be the problem here.

New York. On paper, the Red Bulls improved their team in the offseason by bringing in Fabian Espindola (to replace Kenny Cooper), defender Jamison Olave (for pariah Rafa Marquez) and Juninho. But paper has rarely translated into real results for the big-money club.

Columbus. Federico Higuain was a revelation a season ago. He and Jairo Arrieta form a daunting attacking pair that gets a full season together. If vets like Chad Marshall and Eddie Gaven stay healthy, the Crew could play prominently in the playoff hunt.

D.C. United. The fact that the D.C. forward line looks like a relic from the Peter Nowak era in Philly is concerning. But even if Union throwaway Carlos Ruiz and Lio Pajoy don't produce, a midfield featuring Dwayne De Rosario, Nick DeLeon and Chris Pontius can pick up the scoring load.

UNION. There's potential to improve, and few need to be reminded of the wild fluctuations in this league. But trying to meld new central defense and forward tandems will take time and cost points that could keep the Union out of the playoffs.

Montreal. In many ways, the Impact epitomizes the stereotype many fans around the world hold of MLS: Full of old, recognizable names at the end of their careers. That doesn't mean though that the likes of Marco Di Vaio and Alessandro Nesta won't make for difficult opponents.

New England. The Revs have some promising young players, Jerry Bengston and Saer Sene among them. But after parting ways with talismanic midfielder Shalrie Joseph and Benny Feilhaber, there's not much to hang their competitive or marketability hat on.

Toronto. Perhaps the most head-scratching move of the offseason was Toronto signing Queens Park Rangers defender Ryan Nelsen ... as its coach. Yeah, we're talking those levels of dysfunction in the Great White North.

Western Conference Preview

San Jose. Chris Wondolowski and company may have surprised people last year. The Earthquakes won't have that luxury this year, though a largely unchanged side has its perks.

Seattle. Some may underestimate how much the Sounders will miss Fredy Montero. That puts a big onus on Eddie Johnson, while Djimi Traore faces a tall task in replacing Jeff Parke in defense.

Los Angeles. The Galaxy face the looming question of Landon Donovan's mental state and having to replace that Beckham guy. But if Donovan can get back to his usual form, coupled with the development of Omar Gonzales, the continued production of Robbie Keane and stable goalkeeping from Carlo Cudicini, the reigning champs may not miss a beat.

Real Salt Lake. It's a rebuilding year in Utah, which may lead to some stumbles out of the gate. But the return of Robbie Findley, arrival of Joao Plata and retention of Alvaro Saborio means the cupboard isn't bare.

Dallas. The loss of Brek Shea to the Premier League is mitigated by the arrival of two big forwards in Kenny Cooper and Eric Hassli. It just may not be at that end of the pitch that Dallas' major concerns lie.

Vancouver. Fans of English soccer will recognize the name Nigel Reo-Coker as one of the Whitecaps' big offseason acquisitions. Short of that, they'll have most of the pieces back from a team that made the playoffs last season.

Colorado. Few teams underwent as many sweeping changes as the shift in eras that the Rapids undertook. With the likes of Nick LaBrocca and Edson Buddle, they have veterans to steer a youthful core through the rough waters.

Portland. The Timbers brought in former Manchester United and Arsenal defender Mikael Silvestre to shore up a leaking defense. The team seems confident in the path being blazed by manager Caleb Porter, and the hope is that the young nucleus may take big strides this season.

Chivas USA. The biggest topic of discussion this offseason is about how serious the team is in pursuing its Latino-only rule (perhaps informing the deal of arguably its best player in LaBrocca). I guess it's better than focusing on the on-field product, where even the once-bright star of Juan Agudelo probably can't keep the Goats out of the basement.